Medium-chain triglycerides are esters derived from glycerol and 3 fatty acids with 8 to 12 carbon chain length. The main fatty acid components are caprylic acid (C8), capric acid (C10) and lauric acid (C12).
MCTs are very useful. Commercially, MCTs are utilized in the preparation of food as chemical intermediate in food additives. It is also used in the production of baked goods, beverages, chewing gum, confectionaries and frostings, dairy product analogues, fats & oils, frozen dairy desserts, processed fruits, snack foods, adult nutritionals, cheese spreads and soft candies. Functionally, it acts as, among others, emulsifier, energy source, formulation aid, lubricant, release agent, nutrition supplement, processing aid, solvent, vehicle, stabilizer, thickener, surface finishing agent, texturizer and emollient for cosmetics (US FDA 2014). On health, the benefits of MCTs as food includes reduction of intestinal injury, protection from hepatoxicity, anti-inflammation, reduced cholesteronemia and hyperglycemia (Martens et al. 2006).
As the benefits of MCTs are being realized, several additional uses are being discovered. Patent EP0923317 described MCTs in an energy or sports drink, especially designed to substitute body fluid, carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and mineral ions during periods of heavy endurance exercise. In addition to carbohydrates, L-carnitine, mineral ions and amino acids with minor amounts of fruit juice concentrates and artificial flavors, it contains significant amount of lipid, consisting of glycerol esterified with either oleic, capric acid or caprylic acid or any combination of capric acid, caprylic acid or saturated lauric acid. Another use permits the stable integration of MCTs that optimizes the health benefit of MCTs, including its easy digestibility, greater availability of energy and other benefits. Patent US 20100119684 A1 describes food compositions incorporating MCTs, comprising 2-10% of the food composition. The inclusion of the MCT component permits increased amount of MCT to be successfully and stably incorporated into the food compositions. In addition, Patent U.S. Pat. No. 7,470,445 B2 described oil or fat composition composed chiefly of triglyceride enriched with MCTs. The oil or fat composition is low in body fat accumulation, has equal cooking properties with conventional edible oils and has good flavor and high safety (Traul et al. 2000).
An emerging use of MCTs is their therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative disorders. Patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,835,750 B1 disclosed the use of MCTs for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases resulting from reduced neuronal metabolism. This patent demonstrates an improvement in cognitive ability upon treatment with MCTs. Recently, an MCT preparation has been disclosed to improve and maintain brain function using a composition comprising an effective amount of coconut oil and an effective amount of MCTs (US 20130017278 A1).
MCTs are also being actively studied in cosmetics. Patent U.S. Pat. No. 8,586,060 B2 proposes a cosmetic or pharmaceutical preparation as vegetable replacement for Vaseline. Being triglycerides of the MCTs, it offers different physical characteristics than ordinary oils. It has lower viscosity providing a medium for fast spreading when used as skin emollient and is non-sticky or non-greasy on the skin. Triglycerides, particularly MCTs, for cosmetic applications are safe with regards to the present practices of use and concentration as concluded by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel (2003). Generally, MCT oil is regarded as GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) under the US C.F.R. Title 21 Part 170 and granted by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Of particular to the present invention is the enriched presence of C12 (lauric acid) as contained in the composition. Compared with other MCTs, lauric acid has particular uses. The resulting MCT of the present invention involves a composition that is enriched with substantial lauric acid, which is useful as food supplement, salad oil, frying and cooking oil, in food preparations, as well as for cosmetics, cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical purposes. It can also be prepared into a suitable formulation and as compositional ingredient in food preparations. It can act as, but not limited to, solvent, emulsifier, energy source, formulation aid, food grade lubricant, release agent, nutrition supplement, processing aid, solvent, vehicle, stabilizer, thickener, surface finishing agent, texturizer and emollient for cosmetics.
Having substantial lauric acid, a MCT composition can act as food supplement to be taken orally, about 1 to 2 tablespoons daily. It is flavor-free, is a quick and instant source of energy, an alternative fuel for the brain giving enhanced alertness, and as a natural antimicrobial because as lauric acid has been proven to have such property.
In addition, the higher amount of lauric acid provides synergy with C8 and C10 acids as antimicrobial, anti-viral and anti-fungal bioactivity and can be used as natural self-preservative. As such it finds special uses in the cosmetic & toiletries, cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical industries (Marten et al. 2006).
Another example of the use of the MCTs with substantial lauric acid is the preparation of ready mix oil concentrate for hot coffee and other liquid preparations. The ready mix MCT Oil with substantial lauric acid is prepared by adding about 20% of emulsifier blend of distilled monoglycerides of oleic acid and polyethoxylated sorbitan esters. It produces a stable mixture with no floating MCT oil when added into hot coffee or similar liquid preparations.
Moreover, the present invention involves the generation of MCTs which provide several advantages such as firmness, which makes it useful as thickeners or gellants for topical application and cosmetology, longer shelf-life, resilience to rancidity and better palatability.
Also, in cases that lauric acids are cited in compositions, inclusions of significant amount of non-MCFAs are usually noted, such as myristic acid (GB879211, JP2009142185). This could lose the benefits of MCTs in general, especially its usefulness in food preparation and in bioactive applications.
In addition to products, the present invention offers a more efficient method of producing and manufacturing MCT with substantial lauric acid content. As typically known in the art, majority of commercial MCT's are obtained by esterifying glycerol and C8 to C12 fatty acids (U.S. Pat. No. 2,238,442, WO2013126990A1). This is done in the presence of acid catalyst at temperatures ranging from 140° C. to 260° C. or with the use of an enzyme such as lipase at lower temperatures from 40° C. to 90° C.
Conventional MCT contains 50% to 70% of C8 and 30% to 50% of C10, with 2% or less of C12 and 3% or less of C6 (caproic acid). The purpose of the invention is to establish a manufacturing process of a MCT containing C8 (caprylic), C10 (capric) and substantial amount of C12 (lauric) acid via esterification of fatty acid methyl esters derived from coconut and/or palm kernel oil. In this case, the preferred feedstock is fatty acid methyl esters that are more stable and non-corrosive, thus requiring manufacturing equipment and parameters that are easier to maintain and operate. As a disadvantage, this process of producing MCT Oil via fatty acid methyl esters will result to methanol as by product, which is known to be toxic. This invention thus also presents an effective distillation and deodorization process that would ensure removal of methanol in the product.
In contrast to prior art, the resulting MCT Oil from the said process using fatty acid methyl esters contains substantial C12 esterified with glycerol. Conventional MCT process is prepared using fatty acids having 2% of lauric acid. Moreover, the new MCT Oil will contain majority of C8, C10 and C12 where C12 comprise from 2-70%, with small amounts of C6 and C14. While MCT Oil from conventional process has also C8, C10 & C12 it has lesser amount of C12.
From the foregoing, it would be apparent to a person of skill in this art that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments should be considered only as illustrative, not restrictive, because the scope of the legal protection provided for the invention was indicated in the claims.